


Of Splendid Glory

by Serina



Category: Superboy (Comics), Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cassie is aged up, F/M, Gen, Match is overprotective, Superboy has different powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-04-25 21:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4976488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serina/pseuds/Serina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU! Labelled defective and discarded, Superboy along with his overprotective brother Match and a runaway Amazon, tries to find his path as a hero outside of Superman's shadow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Match and Superboy

Summary: AU! Labelled defective and discarded, Superboy along with his overprotective brother Match, tries to find his path as a hero outside of Superman's shadow.

Of Splendid Glory

" _Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror."_

― _C.S. Lewis_

* * *

Chapter One: Project Match and Superboy

The restaurant Superboy found himself in as dawn broke was a simple Pa and Ma establishment, in between two no name towns that had little to no importance besides being a footnote in his Cadmus education. The few people within it kept glancing at his table from the corner of their eyes when they thought he was looking away.

He instinctively adjusted his clothing as he noticed their gaze. Ill-fitting as the stolen garments were, it was at least better than his solar suit that he had abandoned hours earlier.

He cradled his head in his arms, trying his best to piece the past few hours together as best as he could wondering how this all possibly could have all gone so wrong.

A malfunction had occurred and his pod was opened a few days prematurely. Aware of this, he had gone off to see a superior like he was taught to do in this scenario. His head started to ache as he remembered the next set of events. He managed to find Desmond who promptly exploded when he noticed the super-clone.

" _What is it doing out free?! We don't need the thing anymore! Put it back in its pod and prepare for disposal, already. He's obsolete."_

The dull ache in his head instantly turned into a sharp stabbing sensation as the words rang in his ears.

Obsolete. He was obsolete? How was that possible?

He had been created for the sole purpose of replacing Superman. He been groomed for that since his brain had formed. He was supposed to be good enough to do that task. What did they mean obsolete? Did they manage to clone something better than Superman in their facility? Did he not live up to the task?

He was so lost in thought that he did not notice the restaurant's only waitress ask if he wanted an order.

"Two coffees and two plates of scrambled eggs," his voice said.

It takes him a moment to realize he wasn't the one who spoke.

Superboy looked across his table to see his doppelganger, talking to and paying the waitress a tip. The money in his hand was stolen from some inattentive person on the way. He had only learned of the boy's existence the previous night. Cadmus had offered absolutely no information on the boy.

The first Super-clone.

Project Match.

His savior.

Fuzzy as his memory was from the shock of the experience. He could still clearly remember Match pulling him free from the G-Goblins who had cornered him and whisking him away from the building while he stunned as he was, was still in the midst of trying to get his bearings.

Match was an older clone; he had explained when they were far enough away from the Cadmus building. The older clone had been named obsolete just like him because of a mutation in his eyes that turned the sclera into an inhuman black which were currently hidden behind a pair of stolen glasses. It was a very shallow reason, Superboy thought to lock someone away and keep on ice. Cadmus could have just given him a pair of contacts that he could remove when he needed to use Heat vision or sunglasses like he was wearing now. It wasn't that big of a problem he thought.

But Cadmus apparently couldn't even bother with that.

According to Match and the date of his creation, he had been put on ice before Superboy had even become a thought. The strange malfunction that opened his pod had apparently spread through the whole building and had defrosted the older clone's pod as well. A power surge or whatever it possibly was had saved both of their lives.

"Eat something," Match said impassively as the waitress placed a plate of eggs in front of both of them. His face completely was unreadable to the younger clone due to his dark tinted glasses. "You'll need your strength."

* * *

As soon as they were done with the restaurant and out of eye sight to the nosy customers, Match super sped Superboy into a seedy motel a few miles away from the diner. They pay the owner with the last of their stolen money for a room for the night. The owner who doesn't give them second look hands them a key with a big bold six on the end of it.

"End of the hall," The owner barked, pointing to the hallway on his left.

"Why didn't we just fly?" asked Superboy curiously as soon as the owner was out of earshot. Flight had been the power he was most excited to try in the real world but Match had demanded they stay close to the ground.

"We can't blend in up there," Match explained as though it was obvious, pointing upwards to the sky while they enter the room. "The last thing we need is Superman or Green Lantern to see us in the air. Too many questions."

Superman.

Superboy hadn't thought of his genetic donor even once since his escape. A feeling of warmth started to instantly spread throughout his body. They didn't have Cadmus or its resources anymore. But Superman was still out in the world. They could go to him. They could go-

"That's stupid," Match said interrupting his train of thought as he took a seat on the motel's questionable excuse for a ed. The boy gave him a look that he was aware of what the other boy was thinking and obviously thought he was a idiot for thinking it. "We should be lying low. We should stay as far as we can from that man."

"Why?"

Match gave him a look of incredulity. His opinion of Superboy's intelligence was dropping by the second.

"Would _you_ trust a clone of yourself that appeared out of nowhere?" Match asked plainly.

Superboy paused for a minute before shaking his head. To be honest even though the other boy had saved him, he still wasn't quite sure he trusted _Match_.

"But he's Superman," Superboy pressed as he sat on the bed beside Match's, turning himself to face the other boy. His education had been very thorough on Superman's kindness and acts of forgiveness. He had managed to befriend many of his former enemies who had terrorized Metropolis at one point or another. Obviously Superman would see that they meant no harm to him…

Match started to rub his temple in frustration. "Do you not get it?! We exist because he's been violated!" Match growled. "We're weapons designed to kill him. We can't hope he'll ever see as anything else."

Match's words hit him a bucket of ice water. The warm sensation he had felt moments earlier disappearing as quickly as it came.

Superman might not _trust_ him.

Superman might _hate_ him.

That possibility stung a lot more than he thought it would.

"We have to assume the worst," Match added before he could make a counterargument. "We got our lucky break already. Can't assume lightning will strike twice. We have to stay away from him, for our own safety. We need to protect ourselves."

Superboy had to admit the other boy had a point. If Superman didn't approve of them, he might just throw them in the phantom zone like his other Kryptonian enemies or one of the many metahuman prisons in the country. Looking firmly at the ground, Superboy reluctantly said, "Okay."

"Good."

With the subject of Superman being put down, a awkward silence fell between the two Cadmus projects. Match took off his sunglasses and placed on the top of the dresser separating the beds, before kicking off his shoes and lying on the bed.

Superboy was about to do the same but there was one nagging thing in the back of his head. He knew there would be no way he could get a second of sleep without it.

"I have one question I have to ask," Superboy said, looking down to lock eyes with the other Kryptonian boy. This had been bothering him since they escaped Cadmus.

Match raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it?"

"Why'd you save me?" he asked. "You could have easily just escaped Cadmus by yourself. You didn't need to drag me along."

The other boy blinked several times with his eerie black eyes, obviously stunned by the question.

"I have to ask are you slow or something?"

He _really_ didn't expect that response.

"Because I thought the answer was obvious."

Superboy shook his head. The other boy had remained silent so far on his objectives so far. He had absolutely no idea what he could possibly be thinking.

"Dumbass, it's because you're my little brother," Match said simply. "Of course I would save you."

The answer had surprised him. The other boy had come as a complete shock to him and Match had accepted him the moment he saw him. The warm feeling he had earlier reappeared with a burning vengeance as he felt a rush of affection for the other boy.

Match's coughed loudly and turned away, his cheeks now slightly pinker than they were moments before his declaration. "Whatever, just go to bed," he said before he turned off the lights.

And Superboy fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

* * *

End Chapter

Not enough fics use Match. So I decided to give it a try.

This is a Cassie/Conner story. I wanted to try a romance and she will appear in the next chapter or two. Young Justice has such a large cast so I'm going to play around with my favorites. Next chapter, the boys go to Gateway City and the divergences will be clearer.

Will update My Father's son pretty soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Of Splendid Glory

Chapter Two: Gateway City

* * *

Gateway City was the former home of All Star Squadron and Wonder Woman. The Amazonian Princess had abandoned the Californian City for her new home in Washington well over thirty years ago.

Match had found the name fitting and decided that this would be where they would stay. That it would be their gateway to their lives outside of being weapons. Superboy personally had no preference to the city one way or the other. Although Superboy wondered if it was a good idea to live in a place just two cities away from Star City, home of the Green Arrow.

"I like the ocean," Match had said when they decided on the seaside city after leaving the mangy motel the night before. "And if I can't spot a man in bright green hood ten miles away. I deserve to be caught."

The first thing they had done when they left the motel was cure their money problem. After spending another day ripping off a few unlucky people for another night of food and shelter, the duo knew they needed a bigger resource.

Which was done by robbing three recently filled ATMs five states over that contained well over half a million dollars with a combination of their strength and super speed so no one would see them. It was more than enough to find a decent life in the city for a while. The Justice League had been off dealing with a wizard that was trying to black out the sun at the time of their robbery so they hadn't needed to worry about their arrival. Superboy had felt pretty guilty when they had cracked them open. But he comforted himself with the fact they were insured and the duo was pretty desperate.

Match on the other hand didn't seem affected by their felony.

And they spend their first Fourth of July, in a motel in the middle of nowhere playing with a handful of fireworks they managed to scrounge up.

Cadmus had taught the duo how to forge papers and create fake identities so after buying a laptop and another night of sleeping at what could only be the seediest motel they could be found in Gateway, they had managed to create passable papers. They had picked up a baby book and decided to give each other names. Match had given Superboy the name, Conner first and Superboy had given Match, the name Cassidy afterwards. The surname Kessel had been an afterthought. Superboy had just liked the alliteration.

And thus Cassidy and Conner Kessel, the unfortunate orphans who had just lost their parents, came into a bit of money and who had wanted a change of scenery was born.

With the stolen money and false papers secured, they spend their third day of freedom buying themselves some decent fitting clothes, some phones, and upgrade to a room at a hotel rather than another motel while they looked for a more permanent residence in Gateway.

With an amazing bit of luck they managed to find a fully furnished home with a fantastic view of the coast. A middle aged socialite who had just divorced her fifth husband and told them she had wanted to spend the next year or so finding herself in Europe or Asia, possibly doing charity work there. She hadn't quite decided yet and told them she'd figure it out when she got there. She had just wanted to leave the house as quickly as possible and couldn't bear to be near it for the time being. But the market had terrible and she had been unable to sell it so she had decided to sublet instead. She was blunt but well meaning and gave them an almost criminal deal on rent because she had found them as orphans to be the most pitiful things she had ever seen. She had quickly vetted them with a background check that managed to not to see past their fictional history. And they manage to move in within next week.

With residence secured, the Kryptonian clones finally had a chance to breathe after a restless two weeks.

* * *

The next fortnight is a lot easier than the one before. Match, to Superboy's surprise had taken to their new dull suburban life very easily. Especially when it came to cooking, the older clone was constantly in the kitchen cooking and experimenting with ingredients which usually ended up a treat to Superboy's taste buds.

It made Superboy strangely jealous that Match could be so okay with the mundane.

Superboy didn't have the same luck in the kitchen that Match did. He only excelled with foods that contained a lot of spice and heat. He even managed to make a omelette that made a kryptonian's eyes water.

"Figures," Match had told him when they realized this.

But Superboy wasn't quite sure what he meant by that and the other boy offered no answers. Superboy had come to quickly expect this from the older Kryptonian clone.

The other boy was adamant about leaving their life and former fate as weapons in Cadmus behind.

Nearly five times a day, Match hissed, "Call me Cassidy, _Conner,_ " when Superboy called him by his name. The other Kryptonian clone was strangely anal about using their other names. "We don't want the wrong person to hear us." He always said that even in the privacy of their home.

But Superboy wasn't quite ready to be called Conner yet.

It was reaching the end of July, and they had wound up spending another night inside their beachfront home, relaxing in front of a television watching their program of, _`Wendy the Werewolf Stalker,'_ when it cut to a news report.

 _`This is Tana Moon, reporting live at the hall of justice. We have just_ _arrived word that the Atlantis city, Neptunos has just been attacked by the terrorists Psycho Pirate, Black Manta and Atomic Skull with a massive bomb with Prince Orim of Atlantis as the first confirmed casualty of the attack. We are standing here to see if we can get a peak of King of Atlantis and justice league member, King Orin."_

"Change the channel," Match demanded as soon as the justice league spokesman appeared. "That has nothing to do with us."

"I was just looking," Superboy said defensively. "It's not going to kill anybody, Match."

"Cassidy," Match corrected automatically.

Superboy sighed.

The other important rule that developed was no mention of the justice league and especially Superman. On their third night away from Cadmus, Superboy watched a fluff piece that had happened to be on the league`s happy sidekicks. They laughed and talked to each other earnestly, unaware or uncaring of the cameras as they walked inside the hall. All together for the first time the report boasted.

He had only managed to get a look at Manhunter and Red Tornado, along with the sidekick's mentor before Match noticed what he was watching and turned off the television, changing the topic to what they should eat for dinner.

Superboy not in the mood to argue, changed the channel, handed the remote to Match and went to his room, closing the door behind him.

Justice League, Superman. Superboy knew it was none of his business.

The quicker he became Conner Kessel: orphan instead of Superboy: weapon, the easier things would be.

* * *

 

* * *

End

I hope this clears up the timeline somewhat. They left Cadmus three days before July 4th for reasons that have been yet to be revealed and Psycho Pirate and Atomic Skull did escape with the plutonium unlike in the tie in comic.

And yes, there is a reason Superboy can fly in this universe.


	3. Superman and Match

**Author's Note: ATTENTION! To those who didn't see the note. A significant chunk of last chapter was deleted because I had felt unhappy with it the direction it went in.  
**

Of Splendid Glory

* * *

Chapter Three: Supeman and Match

Superman placed two of his mother's famous pies on the counter next to the coffee as he prepared for the early morning meeting of the justice league, before took a seat in the table opposite where Hawkwoman, Captain Atom, Hawkman and Zatanna were already in intense conversation on some issue that Superman couldn't make heads or tails of. He felt incredibly useless as he did the small gesture for the team.

Pie wouldn't fix any of this.

He didn't know how to fix any of this.

Superman, for the first time in a long time felt utterly useless.

Since the attempt to blot out the sun by the dark wizard, Wotan everything had changed for the league. And with each passing day it only seemed to get worse.

"That smells nice. One of your mother's pies?" Diana asked inquisitively, breaking him out of his train of thought as she floated into the room. "Or is it one of those abominations that Guy brings in on occasion?"

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Good," she said lightly as she floated to the counter to cut herself a piece of Ma Kent's famous apple dessert. "I'd have thrown it in the airlock of it wasn't the case."

He gave her a small, tight smile as she sat down beside him. In the corner of his eye, Superman noticed Captain Marvel talking to the Green Lanterns as they entered the room.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Not as badly as other people," He said.

"That's not what I asked." She said frowning.

But Superman refused to answer that question and the Amazonian chose not to push him.

Slowly, the last few members entered the room. Flash zipped to get himself some food while the others took their seats without protest. Clark looked at the two empty seats of Black Canary and Green Arrow with a wince, while the pregnant Queen Mera took the seat that her husband normally occupied. The red haired teenage attendant that Superman had always seen at her side was nowhere to be seen.

Things were changing too much.

Batman, sitting at the head of the table stood up and cleared his throat to silence all conversation. "I'll start this meeting with the most important news. Roy Harper has woken up."

Everything had changed the day Wotan attempted to attack the sun.

The children. The Impulsive, reckless children had taken it upon themselves to prove their worth to the Justice League by investigating Cadmus behind the league's back.

No one had expected their discovery.

They had found Roy Harper.

The _real_ Roy Harper was found to have been captured and mutilated by an unknown enemy and frozen in ice was just blocks away from a Justice League headquarters.

The elder clone that had replaced him had disappeared that night, leaving a devastated Green Arrow and Black Canary in his wake.

And despite their best efforts, they still haven`t been able to track him down.

"What has he said?"

"He said he doesn't remember." Batman said irritably, obviously not believing the boy. "But he is being put under close watch to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid on his own. There still has been no sign of the older Speedy either."

"Does he know?" Diana asked. "About the clone?"

"Green Arrow and Black Canary thought it'd be best to let him settle some more before he does."

The conversation drifts to crime patterns across the country. Nothing particularly stands out to Clark's notice besides a sudden increase of cooperation supervillains had with others.

Mera spoke of the recent events troubling her undersea kingdom. The fallout of the Neptunos attack had left a large anti-surface world sentiment across the kingdom while the refugees were relocated. Many Atlanteans were calling out for blood and war against the rest of the world while they attempted to rebuild. They felt that the surface world had not done enough to bring the criminals involved to Justice.

But just like Speedy, they had disappeared.

"There had been some troubling discoveries about the late Orm as well," Mera said, her face frozen into queenly mask of impassivity, noticeably omitting his royal title. "It seems he had a secret life under our nose. He was the Ocean Master who has tried to overthrow my King for so long. My King plans to reveal his brother as the traitor he was as soon as possible."

The meeting continues on and Superman drifts in and out while his mind wanders to a very familiar subject that he had been dealing with since that terrible day.

From the reports, there had been two Superclones there in the same building as Speedy. Project Match and Superboy. Both terminated and disposed off by the now deceased Doctor Desmond just days before the kids had broken in according to the records. They were two teenagers that had never gotten a chance to open their eyes while their masters decided to eliminate them.

Superman had entered a storm of conflicting emotions whenever it came to the two boys that he would never meet. Violation, at what had been done to the man of steel without his knowledge. He could never have a child of his own and yet these monsters had dared to make two from his stolen flesh. He had felt pity for their abrupt ends. And the emotion that troubled him most of all...

Relief, that they were gone.

* * *

Match was a simple person.

He was not a particularly _kind_ person. As his brother would say under his breath when he thought he couldn't hear him, he could be a bit of a dick in fact.

For the most part he felt that insincere niceties were a waste of everyone's time. He didn't humor any attempts from his nearby neighbours to get close to the household or the girls who fawned over him when he went into town. He was not interested in other people and it was best they learn that as quickly as possible

There was only one person he cared about after all.

Like every morning he had woke up first. The clock on his counter brightly flashing it was five past ten. The comforting snores of Conner _—_ filtered in from the other room. The boy always slept in an extra hour compared to Cassidy.

He slipped into the kitchen that had quickly become his domain and prepared for breakfast.

Cooking was an interesting hobby for the young Kryptonian. It fascinated him to see what ingredients in different combinations and ratios could make. The hobby was one of the few skills that Cadmus hadn't naturally provided. They had no interest in making sure their subjects could feed themselves more than just the basics.

It was a hobby that was completely his.

Opening the fridge to check the inventory of ingredients available, he had decided that today would be waffles with homemade strawberry syrup.

After spending the next half hour making the waffles, Conner drifted into the room and grabbed a plate without even a simple word of thanks Cassidy noted.

"You came in late," Cassidy said as he poured himself a cup of juice. The younger boy hadn't come home until eleven. He was about to leave to fly all over town to look for him before the boy entered without fanfare. "You didn't tell me yesterday. Where did you go?"

"I went for a walk."

He was lying of course.

A quick examination of his bag when the boy had gone to the bathroom had exposed his secret. He had gone to the Museum dedicated to the Justice Society of America behind his back. Cassidy decided that he would hold onto that knowledge for the time being.

Conner was to his disgust, still absolutely fascinated by the Justice League and heroes and the like, Superman, first and foremost of them all. He knew the boy still deeply wanted to be like them, to be like Superman and save others. He wanted to be a _Superhero_.

He didn't see it yet of course but it was a dream that was going to _hurt_ him.

That's why he would break Conner out of that soon enough. He'd get used to his civilian name and their quiet life here with practice. Normalcy was the best thing for him. He would see that with time and forget about their dark origins eventually.

"I see," he said before going back to his paper.

As he read the paper ignoring the front page story of how the Justice League saved the most adorable kitten in the entire world or some drivel like that he really didn't care to give it more than a glance, he noticed his brother's eyes darting towards him between bites of his breakfast.

It was _almost_ cute how his brother still didn't know how to approach him yet, _almost,_ if it wasn't so tiresome. Despite living together for almost six weeks, the younger boy danced on eggshells around him.

"Yes?" he drawled after he tired of the strange looks. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

The younger boy looked down at his plate, surprised that Match had taken the initiative to ask and mumbled, "I have a problem."

Cadmus had taught him that standard sibling behavior of an older and younger sibling dynamic was often fraught with unnecessary antagonism on one or both sides in the name of frustrating the other. It was something that Cassidy took to that like a duck to water.

"Is it your lack of gratitude when someone makes you breakfast?" he asked. "I noticed that."

" _Thanks_ ," Conner gritted out.

Yes, it was fun torturing him sometimes.

"What is it?" he asked curiously. The younger boy for the most part had avoided asking him things directly in his attempt to be independent.

"I can't use heat vision," he admitted. "No matter what I do it just won't come."

"Maybe. And this is just maybe," Cassidy teased, "you're just not talented?"

Conner crossed him arms in a defensive post. It was obvious to see he was trying his best to not have a more vocal reaction at the insult. After taking three deep breaths to come down, he asked. "Can you help me learn it? Heat vision?"

Instantly the image of the flames that burned the lower levels of Cadmus that fateful night flashed in Cassidy's head. His stomach knotted up like a snake as a feeling of dread overcame him despite himself. Hoping beyond hope, his expression didn't betray his feelings to the younger boy.

"No," he said as impassively as he possibly could.

"No?" Conner asked questioningly.

" _No,"_ he repeated d as he stood up and took his plate. "I'm not going to help you." He would have to find another room to eat as he left the younger teenage boy alone to eat in solitude.

Just like Superman, the justice league or anyone else, Superboy didn't need heat vision at all.

* * *

End Chapter


	4. Cassie

Of Splendid Glory

Chapter Four: Cassie Sandsmark

* * *

"What do you want for breakfast?" Cassidy asked as soon as the younger boy entered the kitchen.

"Eggs and French toast," Conner sighed as he made them a fresh pot of coffee.

"Have any plans, today?" Cassidy asked as he cracked open a few eggs..

"Do I ever have any plans?" Conner asked. "You?"

"Errands,"

This had become their daily ritual since their escape.

They had joined the nearby school in an attempt to better integrate into the city, tired of the lack of direction they had. Unfortunately they were not the most sociable people and didn't have a clue on how to approach someone normally. Cadmus not fitting it fit to properly educate them on how proper social norms. The kids in the school had jumped on in their lack of proper graces. They despite their attempts had not made any friends and even gotten reputation of the creepy twins that everyone seem determined to avoid. But the six hours of structure had been a nice escape to the constant quiet of their lives.

But summer had fallen once again, leaving them to do nothing.

Conner's affection for Cassidy had grown by leaps and bounds since he had first met the other clone over the past year. Conner doubted that he could ever leave him now. They were all they had in the world.

But after Cassidy's abrupt rejection, Conner had tried to badger the older boy or weeks, however he had been adamant. Cassidy obsessed with the idea of normalcy, had frowned on their use of their powers.

"It's not like you'll need it," he always said defensively.

And the older clone had a point. Since their escape of the Cadmus building, there had been no signs of anyone looking for them, Cadmus or Justice League.

To the world outside they had become ghosts.

* * *

In preparation for his marathon of Wendy the Werewolf Stalker, Conner had decided to go to the grocery store to load up on all his favorite snacks.

As soon as he arrived to the store, he made a beeline to the snack aisle, Conner loaded up on an unhealthy amount of sodium and sugar. As well as that orange tea that Cassidy didn't like to admit he liked but always drank.

Looking for the shortest line, he found one at the edge of the store behind a little, blonde girl in a unseasonably heavy sweatshirt and red track pants, who was in deep discussion with a growingly impatient cashier.

"$11.50."

"So what if I just buy the bread, the peanut butter and leave the jelly? How much will that cost?" she asked.

"$7.50."

"I only have Five. What about the bread and the jelly?"

"$6.89."

She made a noise of contemplation while the cashier glared at her darkly. Conner noticed that next to the cashier were several more products that most likely were taken back as well.

Feeling a twinge of pity at the sad sight in front of him, Conner let out a little sigh and started placing all his snacks off the cart onto the register, interrupting the conversation between the two, and causing their eyes to fall on him. "I'll buy all the stuff she wanted too."

The girl gave him a look of surprise before she beamed widely at him. Conner felt a warm sensation in his chest at the tiny deed. Paying for both of their groceries, he grabbed his and left the store as quickly as he could.

"Wait!" The blonde girl said running after him. Catching up to him with a surprising speed despite her small frame, she stood in front of him blocking his way. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "You were a lifesaver in there."

"It's okay."He said. It was just a little money and it wasn't like it was really his in the first place."Did you really try to buy all that stuff with five dollars?" looking at the two bags she was now carrying.

She blushed and looked down suddenly finding her running shoes very interesting. "Let's just say, I'm not good with money. I'm Cassie, what's your name."

"Conner."

"Nice to meet you," she chirped. Noticing all the snacks in his hands, she asked, "Are you going to a party?"

"A TV marathon, Wendy the werewolf stalker," Conner said. Unsure of what to say next, he attempted a bit of small talk, "D-Do you watch it?"

"I don't have a TV or internet at the moment," she said, her face now slightly pinker "Things are tight for me right now."

The words slipped out of his mouth before "Do you want to watch it with me?"

And that was how after one year, Conner made his first friend.

* * *

Cassie from what he had learned over the several hour marathon that they had gone through had lived in Gateway City until she was five when she lost her mother and taken in by her relatives abroad. She had moved back into the city a few weeks ago and to Conner's pleasure had planned to start in his school in September.

"That's a terrible way to hold a sword," she complained, grabbing a bag of chips off the table. In the penultimate episode of the first season, Wendy had received a magical sword carried by the very first werewolf stalker and was going through several manoeuvres with the blade.

"I know," he agreed. "That's a really weak hold."

"I _know_! My relatives made me take fencing and this is painful." Cassie grimaced as Wendy posed dramatically with the blade. "This is why everyone likes Tinker and Peter more, Wendy!"

Conner snorted at that. He preferred Tinker and Hook.

"Aren't you hot?" he asked. Pointing to the large sweat shirt she was wearing.

She shook her head and stretched. "Poor circulation. Runs in the family. I'm freezing."

Conner was about to ask if she wanted him to turn up the heat, when the front door upon.

"I'm home," Cassidy announced. "Whose bags are these?!" Obviously finding Cassie's bags in the hallway, he practically ran into the living room. "Who's that?" he barked, pointing roughly to Cassie.

"You're a twin!" She exclaimed in amazement.

"You have two eyes!" Cassidy said sarcastically with an identical tone. Glaring at the younger boy, he repeated, "Who is that?"

"This is Cassie. We met at the store." Conner said. "…We're…friends." The word felt weird and alien in his mouth. "Cassie, this is my brother, Cassidy."

"Hey! Cassie and Cassidy. We're name twins!" She said unaffected by his earlier sarcasm. Conner briefly wondered if it was because of all the sugar she consumed that she didn't notice the tone he was using against her.

Cassidy crinkled his nose in disgust at her exuberance. His black, judging eyes were luckily hidden by his customary pair of sunglasses. "Don't you have somewhere to go?"

"Cassidy," he said warningly.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Do I have to make dinner for three people now?"

After shoving a few cookies in her pocket, Cassie now very uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Cassidy stood up and said to Conner, "Finish this up tomorrow?"

He gave her a nod, and she beamed again and once again the warm feeling returned. He waved goodbye and she saw herself out, Cassidy making sure to frown at her until she left their house.

"What was that?" Conner asked, once Cassie was now out of earshot.

The elder boy shrugged. "You can do better. Now what do you want for dinner?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**NOTICE to readers!: I've revised** _**My Father's Son** _ **to be smoother IMO. The first version I got stuck having them realistically interact with each other despite the guardianship claim. The idea like many of them had been half formed before I got a proper direction for the story.**

**I also took up the YJ anon meme prompt: What if Superman liked Superboy and the league didn't in my newest fic,** _ **The Boy of The Silvery Moon**_. **Please give it some attention. My friend Tawananna gave me permission to take up the challenge too.**

**I'll be switching updates between my four fics.**


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